““You expected much, but see, it turned out to be little. What you brought home, I blew away. Why?” declares the Lord Almighty. “Because of My house, which remains a ruin, while each of you is busy with your own house.” – Haggai‬ ‭1:9‬ ‭NIV‬‬

As twenty-somethings, we’re often told that this is the prime of our lives. Many remind us that we have all the time, opportunity, and optimism in the world to  pursue our dream lives. Heeding this encouragement, many of us decide to do just that. We go and travel the world. We go and start the business. We go and get the degrees. We go after it all! Have you ever wondered, however, if all that hustling was actually beneficial for you? Have you ever considered that our pursuit for “best” could actually be damaging, especially if not properly directed? According to this verse in Haggai, I’d venture to say that our pursuits may have some critical flaws.

For context, this verse shows God speaking to the Israelites (His chosen people) through a prophet named Haggai. These Israelites were banished from their homeland for many years due to their grave disobedience to God. When God eventually delivered them from the Babylonians (the people who took them captive) and returned them to their homeland, He gave them an assignment. He commanded that they rebuild His temple (His house of worship), which was destroyed during their capture. By the time Haggai shares this prophecy, it had already been 16 years since they returned and the temple was still not complete! Instead of following God’s command, they decided to focus on prospering themselves: building houses, spending money, and harvesting their crops. Simply, they were trying to live their best lives. In all they did however, nothing stood. God refused to let them prosper.

God’s rebuke of them, in this verse, was not evil or mean in intent, as we often conclude when God seems to go against what we want. God’s word was in love and in deep desire for the Israelites to get their priorities straight. This verse serves as a prompting to check where our priorities lie also. How can we expect God to bless our works and plans when we put Him on the back burner? How can we expect to prosper in things God’s hand was never in to begin with? While we might have a nice run for a little while, inevitably, as many of us can attest to, there often becomes a point when we realize we can’t sustain on our own. We get burnt out. We get frustrated. Plans fall through. People become flaky. It becomes too much! If you’re looking for the solution to this problem, the answer, thankfully, is quite simple. Like the Israelites, God is calling us to focus on Him and start doing, first, what He said to do.

“To humans belong the plans of the heart, but from the Lord comes the proper answer of the tongue. All a person’s ways seem pure to them, but motives are weighed by the Lord. Commit to the Lord whatever you do, and He will establish your plans.” – Proverbs‬ ‭16:1-3‬ ‭NIV‬‬

You may feel stuck after hearing that. If you’re anything like me, you’re reading this thinking “Well what did God even tell me to do?!”. While you currently may not have a specific revelation about your calling, thankfully, the core of God’s will (listed below) is the same for everyone. Start to prioritize and pursue these things in all that you do.

1. Have gratitude in all circumstances (1 Thessalonians 5:18)
2. Go after holiness (1 Thessalonians 4:3)
3. Seek and show wisdom (Ephesians 5:17)
4. Be just, give mercy, and walk humbly (Micah 6:8)

Know that no matter what you do, it must be with God’s glory in mind. God can’t accept your works, no matter how awesome they are, if your heart, your character, and your motives aren’t of Him (Haggai 2:14). In all that you put your hands to: that degree, that business, or whatever else you desire, seek to do His will in all of it. As you continue to please Him in all you do, He will begin to lead you in the way that you should go. God will prosper those whose hearts and personal wills are submitted to Him.

“From this day on I will bless you.” – Haggai 2:19 NIV

This was God’s promise to the Israelites after they humbled themselves and reprioritized building God’s house. Thankfully, that promise still holds true for us today. Go forth and prosper, not by your own power and might but by God’s spirit at work in and through you (Zechariah 4:6). Trust Him to know what’s best for you.

First things first, twentysomethings. ❤️